85 - Stepping Stone

“Calm down.”  Jon was annoyingly unruffled when locking his fingers around her wrists.  “It’s not even seven in the morning.  The Senator hasn’t done anything yet.  You’ll call him and tell him not to.  It’s that simple.”

“It’s that simple,” she mocked, pulling free so that she could scramble to her feet.  He just didn’t get it.  “In order to tell him not to do anything, I have to tell him why!  Do you think I want to tell him about those pictures?  With you?  Really, Jon?”

A small bit of logic trickled through and Petey thought she was supposed to be grateful that someone cared enough to look out for her, but she couldn’t get past the panic swelling in her throat.  It was the first time she’d considered the impact of those pictures could have on her family.  For herself, she didn’t care, but for her family involved in a Presidential campaign…  Any scandal could be devastating, and this one was a doozy.

“Four-score and seven years ago-“

He stood and spun her pacing form so that she was forced to look at him.  “Don’t panic.  I’ll call him myself and take care of it.  Relax.  I can spin this, Sugar.  It’s what I’m good at.”

She knew her eyes were wild when she looked up into his face.  The eyes were, after all, a reflection of the soul.  “These pictures would kill my parents, Jon.  In more ways than one.”

“Do you honestly think I want them out there?”

She dislodged herself from his grip and paced around the coffee table.  “Oh please.  You’re a rock star.  It might be a pain in the ass, but in the long run it’s not going to affect your career.”

His quiet voice stopped her pacing.  “No, but it will affect my kids.”

Oh God.  She hadn’t even thought about his kids.  Stephanie.  Petey would never be able to look at Stephanie again.

Her eyes fixated on the sun, rising in the distance. 

Listen my children and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;

Hardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and year.

“I didn’t say it to freak you out,” he sighed, taking advantage of her stillness by settling his arms around her waist.  “I just wanted to let you know my family is involved too.  There’s no way in hell I’m going to let those pictures get out, Baby.  Whatever it takes, I swear to you, they won’t see the light of day.”

That effectively pulled her back out of her head.  “So you’ll call John and let me deal with Daniel?”

“No.”  His mouth went as flat as his eyes, his bedhead pivoting back and forth with rejection.  “I told you that you’re done playing along.  I’ll take care of this.”

“How?”

One corner of that beautiful mouth lifted in an arrogant smirk.  “I’d rather you not know, but as you said, Sugar – I’m a rock star.  Do you think I haven’t buried some shit in my day?  You’d be amazed at what I can make disappear.”

That sounded ominous, but he was so certain of himself that the panic ebbed.  Maybe she didn’t have to do this alone.  Maybe he could make this disappear.

“And with any luck…”  He dropped his voice a notch.  “…he’ll disappear along with the pictures.”

“Jon!” Petey reared back with a gasp. 

The nerd laugh filled her ears and his eyes were crinkled with humor.  “I just meant he may find that he’s happier living elsewhere.  What, do you think I’m Mafia?”

Her cheeks pinkened at his teasing.  The way he said it was just so… sinister.  It seemed like a logical conclusion.  “No,” she muttered, dipping her head.  “But I still have to go back and deal with Daniel.  I have his engagement ring.  And right now, I’m under contract with the University.”

“Absolutely not.  You’re not going anywhere near that crazy fucker, and I don’t want your finger anywhere near that pathetic excuse for a ring.”

Frowning up at him, she poked his ribs.  “Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?”

He poked her right back and leaned over top of her with his own frown.  “I’ll tell you who I am.”  His face softened, and his poking fingers became gentle.  “I’m the guy who loves you.”

Talk about pink cheeks…  Petey tried to be all big and bad and huff at him, but all that came out was a mewly, “Okay.”  She cleared her throat and put some gumption behind her voice when saying, “But I still have a contract with Carnegie-Mellon.  I’m going to have to go back for a while anyway.”

He wound muscular arms around her and folded her into his bare chest.  Her head fit neatly under his chin, but he twisted around to put a kiss on her forehead.  “Technically, you weren’t within your rights to enter another contract, because you’re still under contract to Tony.  I know you signed an employment contract with a confidentiality clause and the whole nine-yards.  All of his people have to if they’re coming on one of my tours.”

Thinking back, she remembered that he was right.  She had signed an employment contract with TBJ Video Productions.  And…

“Did you read the contract, Baby?”

She had skimmed over it, but bringing up document’s image in her mind, she could see one very specific clause.  “Item fourteen, Termination of Employment,” she murmured.  “Part four states that ‘an Employee must provide written notice and at least one week’s notice before terminating employment with Employer.  Upon the end of that time period, the Employee shall complete exit counseling and sign a supplementary confidentiality agreement.  Failure to do so will be considered breach of contract.”

“Mm-hmm,” he chuckled into her hair.  “Something like that.  So any contract you have with the school is null and void.  I may not know a lot, but I know contracts.”

The lack of Jon-like arrogance bothered her.  Was he going to go all weird on her, like most everyone did?  Somehow, attaching a label to her ‘smartness’ caused people to go into self-deprecation mode, like she was comparing herself to them. 

I don’t think I can stand it if he does that.  It’s time to remind him that I’m still just Petey.

Tipping up her face, Petey nuzzled the underside of his stubbled jaw with her nose.  “I can think of lots of things you know,” she protested, her hands doing a seductive slide up his ribcage.  “Really good things.”  She sneaked her tongue out for a taste of his Adam’s apple.  “I bet you still have a bunch of tricks up your sleeve that I don’t know.”

Jon’s eyes twinkled as he looked down his nose at her.  “Are you coming on to me, Ms…”  His forehead wrinkled for a minute.  He wasn’t sure what to call her.

“Diehl,” she rasped helpfully, kissing along the hard ridge of his collar bone.  “Petey Diehl.”

His head fell back, allowing her better access to his neck.  “Not Patience?”

“No.”  She scraped short nails across the flat disks of his nipples, sucking on the skin at the base of his neck.  It had been a long time since she marked him this way, and she felt a strange need to do it now.  “Patience doesn’t live here anymore.”

“Good.”  He separated himself from her and swooped in to claim her mouth.  After he’d kissed the breath out of her, his hands snuck up under the t-shirt and grasped her bottom firmly.  “It would be a pain in the ass to start over with a different person at this point.”

She breathed a soft laugh against his mouth.  “I thought I was a pain in the ass from the beginning?”

“You were.”  Would she ever tire of the feel of his mouth and the taste of his tongue?  He swept over her lips in an open-mouthed kiss, murmuring, “But now you’re my pain in the ass.”

☠ ☢ ☠

Jon crammed the hat down on his head and slid out the suite’s door, pushing the elevator call button.  Petey didn’t have anything to wear except her evening gown from the night before, and he didn’t want her doing the walk of shame any more than she wanted to do it.  He’d gotten her room key and was headed to her room three floors below to retrieve some clothing more suitable for a Friday morning.

Arriving on her floor, he had the plastic card poised in front of the card reader slot when he heard a pissed off voice.

“Hey.  What are you doing going into my sister’s room?”

Damn if Henry Heinz wasn’t as big as his sister was small.  The dark giant – who was probably as tall as Matt, but bulkier – was looking none too happy to find Jon with a key to his sister’s room at eight o’clock in the morning.

This man doesn’t like Daniel.  He’s going to be your best ally.

He put on the press smile and extended his hand.  “Hi.  I’m Jon.  You must be Henry.”

Henry looked at his hand with distaste, not bothering to accept it.

Distaste?  Really?  What the hell have I done to you?

He pushed the rejected hand into the pocket of his jeans and wiped the smile from his face.  If big brother wanted to play hardball, he could do that.  Hell, he thrived on that.

“Petey asked me to get some things out of her room.”

Henry’s dark eyebrows descended over his brown eyes, making them appear even darker.  Apparently, he was the protective kind.

“Where exactly is my sister?”

Jon was pretty sure the primal growl phrased like a question was supposed to scare him.  Henry must not have ever been to Jersey.

“She’s in my suite.”  He could be just as cold and intimidating as anyone.  “She wanted fresh clothes, so I came to get them for her.”

“Don’t… put your hand on that door.”  Phone in hand, Henry was dialing while looking at Jon like he was a common criminal.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, man.  What’s your problem?”

The bigger man ignored him.  “Hey, Squirt.  I was coming to see if you wanted to go get breakfast and found somebody trying to get in your room……….. Yeah………… You never said anything about that…………..”  The answers were becoming sullen grumbles.  “I know you are…………. Yes…………..  Fine.  I’ll see you in a few.”

The call was terminated with one perturbed finger jab.  “She wants me to come back with you.”

“Yeah, why not?”  Jon stuffed the card in the reader.  When the light turned green, he pushed open the door, sniping,“You seem like a real personable guy.  We should hang out.”

The door would have swung shut in Henry’s face if one big, meaty hand hadn’t curled around the edge of it.  “Patience says you two are dating.”

Locating Petey’s overnight bag, he plunged a hand in the open zipper compartment and pulled out two articles of black clothing – the bunny shirt he’d gotten her and the legendary leggings.  Rummaging a little further, he found the bra and panties she also said would be there.

Hell, it’s probably just as easy to take the whole bag.

“Yes, Petey and I are.  We’ve been seeing each other for a while.”

He was zipping the bag up and slinging it on his shoulder when Henry asked an odd question.  “Since Christmas?”

Pausing, he looked up at the behemoth of a man, meeting his eyes for the first time since coming into the room.  “Thanksgiving.”  Granted, they hadn’t been in a relationship status that long, but that Sunday before Thanksgiving was when it all started.

“I knew it,” Henry was mumbling as Jon pushed past him, back into the hallway.  “What did you call her about on Christmas Day?”

Another weird fucking question.  How did he even know Jon had talked to Petey on Christmas Day?  Regardless, he remembered very distinctly why he’d felt the need to speak to her:  Daniel.

Jon narrowed his eyes at Petey’s brother.  This guy supposedly didn’t like the putz.  Should Jon admit the truth in an effort to join forces with this guy?  Henry was obviously protective as hell over his sister, which was an excellent show of character, in Jon’s opinion.  He supposed he could overlook a little bit of asshole attitude, considering.

“I had just found out Daniel was hanging around looking for her, and was pissed that she hadn’t told me.”

Allowing ten seconds for the words to sink in, and receiving no response, he allowed his footsteps to resume their path to the elevator, where he waited calmly for the car.  It would be nice if he and Petey’s brother could get along, but he wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.

The elevator door slid closed with both men inside before Henry said meaningfully, “She’s my baby sister.”

Jon’s eyes lit disinterestedly on him.  “Is this part where we go through the obligatory threat bullshit?  Because, man, you don’t intimidate me.  I respect that you’re looking out for your sister, but I don’t give a rat’s ass what your opinion of me is.  Petey’s is the only opinion that matters.”

The doors slid the opposite direction this time, and Jon stepped out, uncaring as to whether Henry followed or not.  He was just before sliding the key card into the electronic lock when a beefy hand wrapped around his wrist.  Jon slowly pivoted his head to look up at the other man, eyebrows lifted disparagingly. 

“She’s not exactly the kind to run after a rock star.”

Jon snorted.  “No shit.  She doesn’t run after anybody.  I’m just thankful she isn’t running away.” 

Henry continued to study him quietly, never relinquishing the hold on his arm.  Jon was becoming annoyed.  He was about to launch into an irritable litany, when he finally decided to speak.

“You’re really not playing some kind of game here?”

Jon sighed, tired of the pissing contest.  “I’m really not playing some kind of game.  I love her, and I’m trying my best to protect her.  End of story.”

The dark head nodded thoughtfully, and his hand fell away.  “Then we’re both on the same page.”